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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mark — a grade
  3. prune — to trim
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. field — for sport
  6. face — to point toward
  7. prune — to trim
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. vault — a safe
  11. field — farmland
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. field — a subject
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bound — certain
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stem — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com